


A Blade Beyond

by vcordie, Yesmar1020



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Crack, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Harems, How Do I Tag, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Polyarmory, Polydoriya - Freeform, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, U.A. is a University (My Hero Academia), Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:41:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26656051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vcordie/pseuds/vcordie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yesmar1020/pseuds/Yesmar1020
Summary: After the destruction of Torna and the rest of Alrest, Mythra decided to leave it all behind, creating Pyra to seal her destructive power away. Using the Conduit, they leave the ruins of Alrest behind, warping through time and space to find another version of Earth, and a green-haired cinnamon bun as their driver. The Aegis will never be the same again, as both are going beyond.
Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Byakko | Dromarch & Nia, Homura | Pyra & Midoriya Inko, Homura | Pyra & Midoriya Izuku, Homura | Pyra/Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Inko & Midoriya Izuku, Nia (Xenoblade Chronicles 2) & Midoriya Izuku, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 63
Kudos: 103





	1. The Grief of an Aegis

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I love Xenoblade Chronicles 1 and 2! I just needed to get this out because it would not stop bumping me for pets.
> 
> If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, leave a comment down below.
> 
> I do not own XB2 or MHA. Please don't sue me.

All of it was gone. Obliterated. Scorched by the lasers of the Aegis, leaving no survivors. Torna had sunk beneath the Cloud Sea, along with Gormott, Temperantia, Mor Ardain, Uraya, and all the other Titans. Millions were wiped out in the blink of an eye, leaving only the white, fluffy surface of the Cloud Sea and the World Tree overlooking it all.

A lone mecha hovered over the sea, remaining still. Its pilot had just unleashed her full power upon all of Alrest, and only now was she caught up with the devastation she had caused. All the people she knew, gone. Anyone she had ever cared about, gone. 

The Aegis known as Mythra wept, grief and guilt overwhelming her. Her silent sobs were deafening in the otherwise quiet cockpit of Siren. It was too much. She couldn’t exist, not while knowing that everyone had died because of her. Because she had listened to the goads of her malicious brother, Malos. She couldn’t be allowed to use her power again.

Mythra’s body glowed, her long blonde hair shortening and turning red, along with the white parts of her outfit. She changed, omitting everything that she hated about herself and created a new Aegis, sealing herself within her new sister. She would be safe here, sealed away where she couldn’t hurt anyone ever again.

The Aegis Pyra opened her eyes, and she took a moment to process her new existence. She looked at her body, her memories supplied by Mythra. She understood her sister’s grief, the emotions threatening to overwhelm her as well. Pyra knew they couldn’t stay here any longer, not when the absence of life on the Cloud Sea would only remind them of the destruction they had caused.

“Siren,” Pyra said hesitantly, struggling to keep her voice from breaking. “Gather all the information needed for a space-time transition event, then execute. We’re leaving.”

Pyra was enveloped in a bright green glow as she returned herself to her core crystal, leaving Siren to interpret her command. The Artifice deduced that the correct course of action was to gather all of the core crystals present in Alrest, and it executed its task.

It took Siren a day to find every core crystal that had been scattered around the Cloud Sea. It had involved several dives into the deepest depths of the sea, collecting whatever it could and storing the crystals in its cargo hold.

Finally, it was time. Siren rose above the Cloud Sea, using the data provided by the Aegis and core crystals in its hold, it drew power from the Conduit which powered it and tore open a wormhole, flying through the portal that closed behind it.

In the World Tree, the Architect watched as the Conduit that led to the creation of Alrest disappeared, leaving him to his lonesome as the World Tree began to fall. He chuckled, laughing at the irony of the situation, and dryly remarked; “So are the consequences of playing God. I was foolish to think I could correct my mistakes here.”

He looked out into the empty room, shaking the half of his head that had remained in this universe. “I hope you can forgive me, Galea…”

* * *

Siren came out of the wormhole after what only felt like a minute, arriving over a blue planet. It scanned its surroundings, easily connecting to the planet’s communication grid. After a few minutes of deliberating and calculating, Siren deduced that it is currently over the planet Earth, calendar date 23XX. Had it the capacity for higher thought, it would’ve been puzzled.

Unfortunately, it didn’t get to dwell much on that thought before a large mass of space debris crashed into it at high speed. Siren recognized it as the long-defunct International Space Station, spiraling out of control. Struggling to correct its course, Siren made the executive decision to jettison its cargo.

Thousands of core crystals spilled from its hold, dotting the sky with blue shooting stars. They fell across the globe, creating a global event known as The Night the Sky Cried. The internet flooded with images of the blue crystals raining from the sky, everyone missing the sole green star falling to the Earth on the island nation known as Japan.

All except for a young fourteen-year-old boy named Izuku Midoriya, who had just witnessed said green star fall right at his feet. He didn’t move at first, not sure what to do about the crucifix-shaped crystal lying between his red shoes. It sparkedly brilliantly in the midday sun, and Izuku quickly looked around the empty grassy field he was in with its single tree, not seeing anyone nearby. 

Now confident that he was alone, Izuku reached out to pick up the green crystal. His fingers made contact, and he flinched when the crystal let out a chime, followed by a green glow that grew brighter as the crystal levitated off the ground. He watched completely stunned when the glow lessened and a red sword appeared, hovering in midair. A few seconds later, a redheaded girl appeared, hovering slightly over the ground.

She appeared to be young, with her hair in a red bob-cut and red eyes. She wore short red and black armor with gold and green ornamentation, which exposed her midriff, back, and legs. She also wore black fingerless gloves, armored red thigh-high boots, red short-shorts, two long scarf-like capes and a golden tiara. In the center of her chest, the green crucifix-shaped core crystal of the Aegis.

She blinked confusedly, as if she had just come out of a deep sleep. She saw Izuku and paused, both of them not saying anything to each other for a few seconds. Then the girl decided to break the silence, smiling gently at him.

“Um, hi. I’m Pyra.”

Izuku stared at Pyra, his shock causing momentary amnesia in the areas of the brain responsible for speech. Inside of his mind, several tiny Izukus ran around screaming, an alarm labeled “GIRL” blaring at red alert. He blushed heavily, not moving until one of the Izukus finally took control again and made his brain work. He could panic about the fact that she was a girl later, and a rather attractive one at that.

Pyra blushed and looked away, only adding to Izuku’s own embarrassment. He realized that he had mumbled that last bit loud enough for her to hear, and now he just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But he supposed it would be rude to not tell her his name.

“I’m I-Izuku. Izuku M-Midoriya.”

Neither one of the pure individuals said anything for a few seconds, still blushing like crazy. Had anyone been around, they probably would’ve yelled “Get a room!”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Izuku Midoriya,” Pyra said, setting her embarrassment aside for the time being. “Um, where are we?”

“In a field in near Musutafu, Japan,” Izuku replied, sitting up. “I-If you don’t mind me asking, um… just  _ what  _ are you?”

“Oh. I guess it is really confusing to see a girl just materialize out of a crystal, isn’t it?” Pyra chuckled, trying to break the awkward atmosphere between the two of them. She took a deep breath and decided to tell him the truth, as there was no reason to lie. “I’m a Blade.”

“A blade?”

“Blade with a capital B. Specifically, I’m an Aegis,” Pyra explained, with Izuku looking very confused. It took him a few seconds to shake out of his stupor before he turned back to Pyra and pulled out a notebook and pencil, gesturing for her to continue. “And since you’re the one who resonated with my core crystal, that makes you my Driver.”

“Your Driver?”

  
  


“Mhm.” Pyra confirmed, patiently waiting for Izuku to finish scribbling down his notes. She sat down next to him and watched as his pencil flew over the notebook, already filling information about how she had arrived and theories about what her abilities might be, even when he didn’t have anything to go off of. But that really wasn’t what got her attention.

It was the sketch he was drawing of her. And it was  _ really  _ good. She looked down at herself and noted details that she hadn’t even realized she had until now. And on top of that, Izuku was muttering slightly under his breath, and the few words that Pyra could work out were indeed about her. 

He also muttered something about Blades and how they were similar to golems, given the fact they had to be awakened by a master of some kind, and how they were servants, according to the information that had suddenly invaded his brain when he had resonated with her crystal. It was honestly adorable to watch him spiral into theories, but alas, the tranquilness of the drawing and the field was soon interrupted by Izuku’s phone ringing.

He dug it out of his pocket and put the phone to his ear, answering with a “Hi Mom!”

“Yeah, I’m fine. The field here is actually really quiet. I don’t think anyone comes out here besides me.”

Izuku raised an eyebrow. “Did I see the sky rain blue? No, I don’t think I did. Why do you ask-- check the news? Ok, hang on I’ll put you on speakerphone.”

He put his mother on speakerphone and pulled up the news, jaw dropping at the footage of the sky raining core crystals. “What the…”

_ “I know, right? Izuku, please come back home. Call it me being overprotective or whatever, but I don’t feel safe knowing you’re out by yourself while things are falling from the sky.” _

“Um, about that…”

_ “You picked one of them up, didn’t you?” _

“Yes, and it kinda turned into a girl--”

_ “It did  _ WHAT?!”

* * *

Pyra sat on the Midoriyas’ couch, awkwardly drinking the tea that had been given to her. Inko, Izuku’s mother, had been wary of her all afternoon, not letting the Blade out of her sight since the moment she had entered the house. Pyra wasn’t sure what to think about the scenario, but she knew that she was being scanned for any sign of deceit or malice.

“Mrs. Midoriya, I can assure you that I’m not here to steal Izuku away, if that’s what you’re concerned about.” Pyra offered, trying to clear the air. “And I have no intent of hurting him.”

Inko did not reply immediately. Instead, she set down her tea and turned to Izuku, smiling at him. “Izuku, sweetie, you have some homework you need to get done, yes?”

“I finished all my homework yesterday--”   
  
“Well, do you have some studying to do?”   
  
“I did some studying before I left--”

“It never hurts to refresh yourself, dear.” 

Izuku raised an eyebrow at his mother, who smiled sweetly at him, with her eyes closed in an expression of thinly-veiled suspicion. He wisely decided that this topic wasn’t worth any more argument and stood, offering a look of sympathy to Pyra. She didn’t understand why until he was out of sight, when Inko took a sip of tea, set the cup down, and her eyes drilled through the redhead as she began her interrogation.

“What exactly is your intention for Izuku, Pyra?” Inko asked, expertly concealing her feeling of anger behind a practiced mask of kindness. “Please, speak truthfully, because I’m tired of people lying to me about how Izuku comes home hurt. Why he comes home with burns almost everyday for the past ten years. Why he’s terrified of loud noises and yelling, and why whenever my complaints to the schools my concerns were waved aside like they didn’t matter. Like  _ Izuku _ didn’t matter.”

Inko’s teacup wobbled as she began to shake with rage. She took a deep breath and calmed herself before pouring herself another cup of tea. 

“My apologies. I’m just tired of the world treating Izuku like he doesn’t matter. Like he’s some waste of space that doesn’t even deserve the time of day.” she said, clearing her throat. “He’s my baby boy, and just because he doesn’t have a quirk like everyone else doesn’t mean he isn’t worthy of basic human decency.”

“Mrs. Midoriya, forgive my ignorance, but what is a quirk?”

Inko spit out her tea, coughing out the hot liquid before looking at Pyra like she was crazy. “You don’t know what quirks are?”

“No…?”

“...you must be living under a rock. Or in a rock, for that matter. The short version is that quirks are powers that eighty or so of the human population have. Mine is ‘Attraction of Small Objects,’” she explained, levitating the teapot to her hand as she poured another cup. “Most quirks that heroes have are flashy and good for combat, which the Hero Commission of Japan has a clear bias towards that no one wants to talk about. If your quirk is flashy and powerful, you’re set in life. If your quirk isn’t as cool, well, tough luck. You’ll have to work harder than those with powerful quirks, and it’s like you don’t even exist if you’re quirkless.”

“That’s terrible,” Pyra replied, hands going to her mouth. “And the Hero Commission encourages this kind of thinking?”

“Yes, but that’s off-topic. Izuku, you can come back now.”

He came back around the corner and sat down next to Pyra, who smiled at him. Inko watched the two sitting close and smiled internally, but there were questions that needed to be answered.

You say that Izuku is your Driver, and that you are his Blade. What does that mean, exactly?”

“Oh. Well, um, Izuku actually had a pretty good analogy of it.” Pyra led, nudging him with her elbow. He blushed and sat up, clearing his throat.

“So, um,Pyra shared some information with me when I awakened her from her core crystal. From what I gather, Blades are like golems. They are awakened, and then they serve the person who awakened them, as well as protect them. In the case of Blades, they have weapons, like Pyra’s sword.”

Pyra gestured to the red mechanical sword sitting nearby. “Technically, it’s Izuku’s sword now, not mine, but the simple version of Blades is that we’re alien golems who came to Earth after our original civilization died, in search of purpose.”

Inko raised an eyebrow. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did the civilization die?”

Pyra took a deep breath, memories of Siren destroying everything with its lasers flashing through her mind. “There was a war. It destroyed… everything.”

“If everything was destroyed, then how did you survive?”

“Blades are immortal, albeit timeless. We're linked to whomever activates us, and we become dormant when they die. We lose our memories when we go dormant.”

“Hold on. If you lose your memories when you go dormant, then how do you know this?”

“I’m a special case.”

“Special how?”

“My core crystal is green,” Pyra explained, taping the crystal in the center of her chest. “All the others you’ll find are blue… I hope. If you see purple, let me know.”

“I see. I need…  _ some kind of scientist,  _ but I don’t know one, so I’ll look it up later. Otherwise, I think you’ve answered all my questions for now, Pyra. I just have one last test for you.”

Pyra looked up hesitantly at her. “Yes?”

“How good are you at cooking?”

“I… don’t know. I’ve never cooked in my life.”

_ And I’m not sure the monstrocies Mythra made count as cooking… _

“Well you’re in luck. It’s just around the time I start preparing dinner. Can I get your help in the kitchen?”

“Uh…” Pyra looked to Izuku for guidance, and he nodded, settling her nerves. Inko led Pyra into the kitchen, quickly instructing her to chop pork for katsudon, Izuku’s favorite meal. She found it surprisingly intuitive and began slicing rather efficiently.

Inko was impressed. She only had to show Pyra how to do a task once and she would execute it perfectly, cooking with such speed and efficiency that the preparation for the katsudon was done in half the time it normally took her to do it. Maybe she had been wrong about distrusting Pyra.

But that would be tested on how well she cooked the katsudon. Inko took over for half a second and showed her how to properly cook the meal, while Izuku watched from the doorway as Pyra picked up cooking much faster than either one of them would’ve thought was possible.

And just like that, all three of them were sitting at the dining room table, bowls full of katsudon, ready to eat. Izuku was practically drooling at the sight of his favorite food, and he quickly muttered “Itadatakimasu” before diving straight in, taking a first bite and freezing.

Both Inko and Pyra panicked.

“Izuku, what’s wrong?”

“Please tell me it doesn’t taste like something out of nightmare’s toilet deposit after a late night taco bell run.”

“What?”

“What?”

Izuku sniffled, happy tears running down his face. “This has tied for the best katsudon I’ve had in my life.”

“Tied?” Pyra asked, tilting her head as Inko’s eyes pricked with happy tears as well. She turned to face Pyra and nodded, approving of her.

“According to Izuku, the best katsudon he’d ever had until now was the first bowl I ever made for him,” Inko reminisced, wiping a tear from her eye. “If you made a bowl that matched that taste and the feeling of satisfaction that came with it, then you’re really special.”

“T-Thanks?” Pyra responded, not sure how to take the praise. “I just followed your instructions…”

“Well good on you, Pyra. Oh, while we’re here, I think the guest room needs to be set up. Pyra, do Blades sleep?”

“We do.”

“I see. Well, unless you’re in some kind of relationship with Izuku, I expect you two to sleep in different rooms. And  _ no peeking,  _ Izuku.”

“MOM! You know I would never do that!”

“I jest, I jest,” Inko laughed, suddenly turning to Pyra with a serious look. “But in all seriousness, I’m taking you to be examined by a quirk doctor tomorrow, Pyra. I don’t know what you are, and I have no idea if you’re telling me the truth or not, so hopefully the authorities will have the tools to be able to find out. This is non-negoitable, understand?”

Pyra nodded. Satisfied, Inko turned to her son. “Izuku, I better not catch you ogling Pyra. I raised you better than that.”

Pyra listened to Izuku’s flustered protests, smiling to herself. It was nice to smile after causing so much pain and suffering in Alrest. Maybe now that she was here, on Earth, she could start anew.

And perhaps in time, Mythra would join her in grieving and healing.


	2. What is a Blade, But a Miserable Pyra of Secrets?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is exposition that hopefully isn't too boring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Before we get started, I want to get this off my chest. Please DO NOT ask for a certain Blade for Izuku to have. I've already decided what Blades Izuku will have. If I'm being honest, I don't remember most of the rare Blades because I never did their Blade Quests and only did the Blade Quests of the ones I liked and wanted to use. (That being said, Praxis and Theory hit me in the feels, no they aren't going to be in the story.)
> 
> If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, leave a comment down below.
> 
> I do not own MHA or XB2. Please don't sue me.

Pyra sat calmly in the interrogation room, waiting patiently for the authorities. She figured it would only be a matter of time before something like this happened. She _was_ from a different planet, after all. Not to mention that she had apparently done things that no person was capable of. That was surprising, considering that so far she had seen people on the street with flaming hair, bunny ears, and even what appeared to be a dragon transformation. If she hadn’t known any better, she would’ve thought they were Blades.

The door opened, allowing entry to a man dressed in a trench coat and a detective’s hat to enter, greeting her with a smile. He took a seat on the opposite side of her, taking out a notepad and a file, both of which he placed on the table. “Good afternoon. I’m Detective Tsukauchi. I’d like to ask you a few questions, Miss…?”

“Just Pyra, please.”

“Alright. Pyra, I’ve been told by my fellow officers and the quirk doctor who examined you that you appear to have multiple quirks,” the detective began, looking over his file. In it were photos of Pyra destroying targets with flames, blocking damage with a shield she projected over herself, and using her sword to destroy more targets. “Is this true?”

“They’re not quirks. I didn’t even know that quirks existed until a few hours ago.” _True._

“I see. Well, if what you’re doing isn’t the result of a quirk, then how are you doing it?” Tsukauchi asked, using his quirk to seek out any lies. It was already surprising to him that Pyra wasn’t using any quirks to achieve what should’ve been impossible without them.

“I’m just using my abilities as a Blade,” Pyra answered truthfully. “I’m a Fire Blade, so flames come easily to me. The shield is something I would normally throw up around my driver, but I can do it around myself as well.” _True._

Tsukauchi blinked. Everything she said sounded like something from the imagination of a child, or a video game, but she was telling the truth. The detective shifted in his seat, the possible need to call backup ever-present in his mind.

“Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is a blade?”

“Blade with a capital B. And to give you the short version, we’re alien golems that came to Earth after our original civilization was destroyed.” _True._

“What?”

“I told Inko this,” Pyra continued, gesturing at the detective’s file. “It should all be there, in her statement.”

Tsukauchi eyed her warily and looked through the file, finding Inko’s statement. She had, in fact, been told by Pyra that Blades were alien golems. He set down the paper and gazed back at her, masking the feeling of uncertainty he got from her.

“Let me just cut to the chase. Mrs. Midoriya is worried that you have some ulterior motive to hurt Izuku, and I can’t let him anywhere near you until I understand that you aren’t a threat to him.” Tsukauchi stated bluntly.

“I can’t hurt him.” _True._

Tsukaushi did a double-take. He hadn’t been expecting that. A won’t, certainly, but a can’t? That was both a relief and concern. Now that Inko’s concerns had been addressed, he only had more questions.

“What do you mean, you can’t hurt Midoriya?”

“I’m his Blade. It’s my duty to keep my driver safe, first and foremost,” Pyra explained. “If he were to get hurt, or die, I would return to my core crystal.”

Tsukauchi stared at her, completely confused. He looked through the files and saw that matched what she had told Inko, and his quirk told her she wasn’t lying. It was time to bring in the backup.

“Excuse me for one moment,” Tsukauchi said, leaving the room. He reached into his pocket and dialed a number on his phone, the person on the other end picking up after a few rings.

“Good afternoon, Nedzu. Can I bother you for a few hours?” Tsukauchi, looking over his shoulder at Pyra through the one-way mirror of the interrogation room. “I have a case that I think you’ll enjoy.”

* * *

Far from Musutafu, an elderly scientist resembling a daruma doll stood enthralled by the light of the Conduit, looking over his reading of its energy production. The Conduit was giving off seemingly unlimited amounts of energy, which seemed impossible. And yet, it was happening before his very eyes. If he could figure out how to harness that energy, then his experiments would have all the power they would ever need.

_“Dr. Garaki.”_

Garaki spun around, facing the computer screen in which the voice of his master projected through. “Sensei. I presume this is about the results of the crystals that fell from the sky?”

_“You presume correctly.”_

“My tests show that the crystals are composed of an unknown substance that is highly resistant to all forms of damage. I tried pressure, blunt force, acid, superheated metal, and sawing, but the crystals remained intact. Curiously, when I introduced them to the human subjects you provided to me, the crystals reacted.”

_“Reacted?”_ Garaki’s master inquired.

“Yes. The crystals reacted negatively to those who touched them. Three of the eight subjects you provided me perished, while another four suffered varying amounts of voltage coursing through them. But the last subject is what surprised me the most.”

_“Go on.”_

“Upon touching the crystal, Subject Eight reported hearing a chime as the crystal levitated and transformed into a male humanoid wielding a spear. The humanoid introduced itself as a ‘Blade,’ and informed Subject Eight that she was its Driver.”

_“Interesting. Do you have any suggestions on how Subject Eight was able to summon this ‘Blade’ while Subject One through Seven could not?”_

“I do, actually. Upon reviewing their files, it appears that Subject Eight is quirkless, unlike Subjects One to Seven. This suggests that quirkless individuals are capable of becoming Drivers, while quirked individuals are not. Of course, I’ll need more data to test this hypothesis.”

_“My resources are at your disposal, Doctor. If any of these Blades prove to be beneficial, I trust that you will inform me?”_

“Of course, Sensei.” Garaki assured, owing everything to his master.

_“Excellent. I look forward to your report, Doctor.”_

The screen shut off, leaving Garaki to his work. He gazed at the core crystal before him and smiled, eager to unlock its secrets.

“I suspect we’re going to have a lot of fun together…”

* * *

Pyra turned to the door as Detective Tsukauchi entered, still sitting. She looked tired and a bit uncomfortable, but she knew these people wouldn’t let her go back to Izuku without answering their questions, especially after the reaction to her story of Blades acting as alien golems.

Detective Tsukauchi gave her a nod. “Pyra, this is Nedzu. I’ve brought him along to help me make sense of your story.”

“How do you do?” A small white dog-mouse-bear-thing with a scar over his right eye greeted, hopping into a seat at the interrogation table. He noted Pyra’s look of confusion and chuckled, clearly amused. “If you’re wondering about my appearance, I’m not sure of my origin either. It’s been nagging me for quite some time. However, I’m more concerned about your origin at the moment. Tea?”

“Tea would actually be great, thank you,” Pyra sighed gratefully. “I know this is a lot to ask, but can you bring my Driver, Izuku in here? If I’m going to explain how Blades work, I feel like he should know too.”

Nedzu turned to Tsukauchi, who rose and exited the room. The chimera focused his gaze back on Pyra and cleared his throat, pouring two cups of tea from a set he had seemingly pulled from nowhere. “While we wait for the detective to come back, I’d like to talk about what you did in the quirk tests. I myself have never seen one individual with so many abilities akin to a quirk, which is why it surprised me to find that you have none.”

“It’s just my abilities as a Blade,” Pyra responded, taking the offered teacup in her hands.

“Fascinating. Tell me, are all Blades like you?”

“Not exactly,” she conceded. “I’m a Fire Blade, and there are eight different elements a Blade can be. Fire, Water, Earth, Electric, Wind, Ice, Light, and Dark. Not to mention that we all tend to be different.”

“How so?” Nedzu inquired, looking over to the door as it opened and both Tsukauchi and Izuku entered.

“It’s like how people are different. Each Blade has their own personality and set of abilities. Some, like me, might have fire as their element, while others could have ice and be the angriest individual you’ve ever met.”

“Pyra, what are we talking about?” Izuku asked quietly, taking a seat next to her.

“I’m just explaining how Blades work. You are my Driver, so I thought it’d be good for you to know as well.”

“Ah.”

“Speaking of the personality of Blades, they tend to be molded by their drivers. For example, another blade I once knew, Brighid, was very uptight and proud. I can only guess that was a result of her Drivers in the past. But I don’t know if she was like that originally or not.”

“So you’re saying that Blades, when activated, tend to take on the personality of their Drivers?” Nedzu questions. “I suppose I can see that, based on how I’ve seen Midoriya here act.”

Izuku blushed at the mention of his name, hiding his face into his notebook and scribbling down what he could glean from the information Pyra was giving. She smiled at him and faced the two investigators again, a sheepish look on her face. “It’s… complicated to say the least. I suppose the best way to explain it is that like how the people you meet in your life shape your personality, so do the Drivers that Blades resonate with.”

“I see,” Nedzu realized, sipping his tea. “Does that mean that a newly awakened Blade has no personality?”

“No. Blades do have a base personality that they work off of. Like I said, it’s complicated.”

“Indeed. We do have a few more questions if you’re willing to answer them.”

Pyra looked to Izuku, who nodded. She smiled and faced the music once more, spreading her arms. “Alright, what do you want to know?”

* * *

**Three Hours Later…**

Pyra sat in the backseat of the Midoriya’s car, watching out the window as Inko drove back from the police station. Everything is so different here. She could see people of all shapes and sizes, and the technology she saw was far different than anything she was used to. It wasn’t as advanced as herself or Siren, but it was still wonderful to look at. 

Inko looked at Pyra gasping at everything like an excited child and smiled, stopping at a red light. She felt guilty for doubting Pyra’s intentions with Izuku, but there wasn’t much else she could think about strangers around her baby. After Tsukauchi had told her that Pyra meant no harm and that she would lay down her life to protect Izuku, Inko felt a wave of relief and guilt wash over her. There had to be something that she could do to make it up for the redhead. 

She looked over to the passenger seat and noted that Izuku was snoozing peacefully. The interviews and notetaking had made him very sleepy, and he had fallen asleep the second he had sat down. Inko smiled to herself and again looked over at Pyra, who was staring slack-jawed at a man who appeared to be half tree.

“Wow…”

“Is it anything like your old world?” Inko asked, keeping her eyes on the road. “Japan, I mean.”

“To be honest, no. Everything here is more advanced in technology. At least, compared to the majority of my world.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Most of my world was untamed nature. I’ve never really seen a city quite as big as this one.”

“Your world sounds beautiful,” Inko commented, driving forward as the light changed. “Large patches of green, with not a lot of development. That sounds really good for the environment, actually.”

“I suppose, but then you have to worry about monsters attacking travelers between settlements. That’s why a lot of people on my world had Blades to protect themselves.”

“I see.”

They drove in silence for a while, neither one of them saying anything for a bit. Inko stopped at another red light and turned to look at her sleeping son. He looked so peaceful, dreaming about who knows what. She wanted to protect that peace, but she couldn’t be with her son every moment of the day. Luckily, she knew someone who could.

“Pyra, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“I’m not always there to keep Izuku safe. I’m afraid that one day, something will happen and I won’t be there to help him, and he’ll… he’ll…”

Inko couldn’t finish her sentence without breaking into tears. She didn’t want to finish that thought. Not when he was alive and well next to her. “Just, please keep Izuku safe for me, okay?”

Pyra nodded, meeting Inko’s eyes in the review mirror. “I will. I promise.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

“DEKU! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Izuku flinched at the snarl behind him, quickly spinning around to meet the eternally angry face of his former best friend, Katsuki Bakugo. The spikey-haired ash-blonde was not pleased with Izuku existing near him, which was the norm for most of Izuku’s life. He hoped it would change once he started high school, but it appeared that he would have no such luck. 

“I-I’m just drawing, K-Kacchan--”

“Drawing? Why the fuck is a shitty nerd like you drawing? You’re never going to have a quirk anyway, so why bother?” Bakugo snarled, invading Izuku’s personal space. He backpedaled into a wall, finding no way of escape. “Unless you think that you can just analysis quirks and sell the secrets off to villains. That’s it, ain’t it?”

“W-What? No!”

“DON’T FUCKING LIE TO ME, DEKU!” Bakugo roared, crackling his palms with explosions. He snatched the notebook from Izuku’s hands and held it out of his reach, laughing as Izuku protested and tried to get it back. “What’s the matter Deku? Just take your shitty notebook. It’s right here!”

His cronies laughed at Izuku as he failed to grab the notebook from Bakugo’s hands. They pushed him down when he got close, and of course, the teachers were doing nothing. They didn’t want to, not when they had the chance of having a star hero in their classroom. So they let Bakugo get away with the bullying, and no one would step in to protect Izuku, even if they felt sorry for him. It was just the way things were.

Until Pyra showed up. She snatched the notebook from Bakugo’s hand, confusing him and his lackeys. They turned to see Pyra looking at them with the most disappointed look she could muster, shaking her head. “I leave for five minutes to use the bathroom and I come back to bullies. Didn’t your mothers ever teach you to not pick on others?”

“This isn’t any of your business, lady. I suggest you give the notebook back and buzz off,” one of Bakugo’s minions said. He was echoed by his buddy and Bakugo himself, who sneered in her direction.

“Well, I’m sorry that your insecurities inflict a desire to impose yourself above others, but beating up others isn’t going to fix that. You think heroes are made by pushing down those weaker than themselves? That’s pathetic, and it’s what villains do.”

Bakugo’s eyes narrowed at Pyra as Izuku began to panic. “The fuck did you just say about me, you little bitch?”

“The only thing little here is your concept of basic human decency,” Pyra shot back, anger blazing in her eyes. “Heroes don’t put people down, they build them up. Unlike you, Bakugo, who seems to revel in the suffering of others.”

Bakugo’s patience snapped. He leapt forward, palms crackling with explosions as he attacked Pyra, screaming “YOU’RE DEAD!”

Pyra threw up a shield around herself, easily blocking the damage. Bakugo crashed into it, falling to the floor in a heap. His cronies jumped at the shield as well, their blows bouncing off the shield. Pyra glared at them and dropped the shield, allowing the bully to fall to the floor due to his momentum. The third also tried to attack her, but she stepsided and approached Izuku, handing him his notebook.

“Sorry I’m late. Are you okay?”

Izuku nodded, taking the notebook back from her and trying not to flinch as Pyra checked him for injuries. “I a-am now t-that you’re h-here.”

Pyra blushed. She wasn’t sure how to take that. But she was glad that he was okay, and that she was comforting him just by being there. Satisfied with the lack of injuries, Pyra helped Izuku to his feet, smiling at him. 

“Come on, let’s get you to class. I think we’re learning more English, right?”

“Y-Yeah,” Izuku replied, allowing himself to be lead by the hand into the class. He sat down and scooched over to allow enough room for her to sit down, blushing as she took her seat. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve Pyra, but he was thankful for her nonetheless.

He’d have to find a way to repay her for all of her kindness.

* * *

_“Dr. Garaki, I trust this is important?”_

“Yes, Sensei. I would never want to waste your time. It concerns a unique crystal I have received.”

_“Unique how?”_

“Well, rather than the normal blue octahedron of the other crystals I have encountered thus far, this one is purple, and shaped like a crucifix. Not only that, it appears to be slightly damaged, but still operational.”

_“Interesting. What does this mean, Doctor?”_

“Well, when I introduced the crystal to a quirkless subject, it failed to resonate and awaken a blade. I repeated this process with several other quirkless subjects, but none of them could resonate with the crystal.”

_“Intriguing. Do you have any idea why this is happening?”_

“Unfortunately, no. I’ve run out of quirkless subjects. However, I can think of one other candidate.”

_“Oh?”_

“Forgive me if I’m overreaching, but is it true that you’ve taken Tomura’s quirk as punishment for destroying another house?”

_“While that is true, I suggest you choose your next words very carefully, Garaki.”_

“I mean no disrespect, Sensei. And if the past tests are any indicator, then even if the resonance fails, he won’t be hurt. If the resonance succeeds, well, Tomura will have a Blade that I suspect will be very special.”

_“I hope for Tomura’s sake and yours that you are correct, Doctor. You know the consequences should things go wrong.”_

The screen switched off, leaving Garaki very nervous and sweaty in his laboratory. He turned to the purple core crystal and gazed at it, fearful for his life.

“I do hope you turn out to be special.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh.


	3. Liars, Tigers, and Blades, oh my!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we finally start going places that aren't exposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Back at it again with this fic!
> 
> If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, leave a comment down below.
> 
> I do not own MHA or XB2. Please don't sue me.

Tomura Shigaraki blinked twice at the purple crystal he had awakened, seeing no weapon appear from it. Just some tall cocky asshole who smirked at him. The asshole was well-built with fair skin, short jagged black hair and grey eyes. He wore black plate armor with staggered plate pauldrons, and a broken purple, crucifix-shaped core crystal was located in the center of his chest.

“So you’re my new Driver, huh?” the asshole said, looking Shigaraki up and down. “You don’t look like much. Too pale to have seen the sky in recent years, and judging by the way you’re holding yourself, you play way too many video games. Ha! My old Driver dies and I get a NEET as my new one. Just my luck.”

Tomura blinked again, his normal reaction of rage usurped by a feeling of shock. He looked over his shoulder to Dr. Garaki and his Sensei, as well as the shadowy figure of his caregiver, Kurogiri. The three men shifted uncomfortably, not sure as to how to react to Malos’s snark.

“Sensei, I’ve done the things you’ve asked. This asshole is awake, and I won’t decay another house to the ground. I want my quirk back.”

“My name is Malos, NEET!”

“Tomura, where are your manners?”

Shigaraki scoffed and rolled his eyes.  _ “May  _ I have my quirk back, please?”

“Yes, you may,” his Sensei replied, placing his hand atop the NEET’s head. Using his quirk, he give Decay back to Shigaraki, but found that the quirk was being  _ pushed  _ back at him. It was as if the boy had a firewall installed around his body, preventing any foreign entities from entering.

“Curious.”

“Sensei, what’s wrong?”

“It appears that I am unable to give you your quirk back, Tomura,” Sensei replied, tilting his head inquisitively. “Doctor, is there a reason for this?”

“I am unsure, my lord. Perhaps Shigaraki’s body is rejecting the quirk factor?”

“That doesn’t make any fucking sense!” Shigaraki snapped. “Why would my body reject my own fucking quirk?”

“Language, Tomura.” Kurogiri chided. 

“I don’t know what these ‘quirks’ are that you’re talking about, but whatever you’re trying to do to him won’t work. The ether energy of a Driver is completely different than that thing you have in your hand. They’re incompatible.”

“What?” Shigaraki asked, wheeling on Malos.

“I’m basically saying that you can’t have me and your quirk, dumbass. And guess what? I’m not going anywhere. Not until you die.”

“I’ll show you a dumbass--”

“Tomura, peace,” Sensei ordered. He turned his non-existent gaze to Malos, many questions flying through his mind. “Just who and what are you, Malos?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Malos smirked, spreading his arms wide. “I’m an Aegis, and I’m here to destroy society. So, when do we start?”

“Oh, I like you already,” Sensei chuckled. “Why don’t you tell us how Blades work…”

* * *

**Three Years Later…**

**Aldera High School**

“Alright, everyone settle down,” Izuku’s senior year teacher ordered, bringing order to his classroom. “First things first, I want to congratulate you all on passing your midterms. I know it wasn’t easy, but I am impressed with the amount of commitment you all have shown. Give yourselves a round of applause!”

The class broke out into thunderous applause, Izuku quietly clapping as Pyra smiled brightly at him. The teacher waited for the applause to die down before realizing that the class wouldn’t quiet themselves. 

“Settle down, settle down. Now, I’ve received all of your college wishlists, and I would go ahead and read them all, but who am I kidding?” he said, throwing the papers up into the air. “You all want to go into heroics!”

The class cheered, each and every one of them using their quirks in celebration. Izuku cowered into Pyra’s protective embrace, his anxiety associated with the classmates using their quirks on him spiking. Pyra sighed and hugged Izuku close to her, rubbing circles into his back and telling him everything was okay.

“I’m sure all of you will make fine heroes, but remember that using your quirks outside of hero work is strictly prohibited. Rules are there for a reason. Now, I know Aldera isn’t the best hero preparatory school but I’m sure all of you will get into a good hero school.”

“Sensei, don’t lump me in with these extras!” Bakugo snapped, planting his foot on his desk. “I’m going to U.A. University, and I’m going to be the number one hero!”

The class filled with gasps of astonishment and awe. U.A. University was Japan's most prestigious hero university, and the alma mater of All-Might, the current number one hero. That was probably the reason why Bakugo wanted to go there in the first place. He was going to show off his stuff, make everyone realize he was the second coming of All-Might, and become the number one. It was simple, and foolproof.

“Wait, isn’t Midoriya going to U.A. as well?”

Bakugo’s smug aura shattered and immediately reformed into his default emotion of anger, which he directed into a snarl. He whipped around to face Izuku, glaring at him. The entire class went silent, waiting for what would happen next.

Then Bakugo burst into laughter, and the rest of the class followed. Izuku shifted uncomfortably, Pyra continuing to comfort him. “Deku, you thi-- you think you can get into U.A. with no quirk? That’s the funniest thing I think you’ve ever said!”

He burst into laughter, wiping his eyes as the class echoed his laughter. “If you’re so desperate for a quirk, why don’t you take a swan dive off the roof and hope for one in the next life?”

Pyra glared at him, not saying anything. She knew better at his point. Bakugo had never listened to her, so why would he start now? Izuku glared up at his bully, which surprised him.

“You have something to say, Deku?”

Izuku looked over to Pyra, who nodded, giving him the last bit of confidence he needed. “I-I’m not u-useless, Kacchan.”

“What?”

“I said I’m not useless!” Izuku shouted, his face red with anger and fear. “And I’m tired of you and everyone in this room except Pyra treating me like I’m nothing. Enough is enough, Kaccha--, no Bakugo.”

Bakugo was stunned into silence. Izuku was shaking with rage now, his fist clenched. Pyra watched the situation very closely, ready to step in at a moment’s notice. “You remember that moment at the creek when we were kids? Where you fell off the log and into the cheek, and I was the only one who came down? I wanted to  _ help you,  _ Bakugo. I wanted to make sure you were alright, and you told me to stop looking down on you. What kind of self-absorbed person does that?”

Izuku’s sudden burst of adrenaline wore off with the sound of the bell. His aura of confidence crumbled, and he grabbed his stuff, leaving the room in a hurry. Pyra ran after him, while Bakugo was still processing what the hell just happened. He had never seen Izuku like that. Never with that look of determination that if you happened to be on the receiving end of, well, God help you.

* * *

“My lady, we must hurry!”

“I know I know! Jesus, this guy is persistent-- _ ahh!” _

A wave of sludge crashed into the wall behind two figures. The first was a girl with neck-length silver hair styled into a bob cut with matching feline ears on top of her head. She had amber eyes, three white stripe tattoos on her face, and elongated canine teeth. She was quite short and has a petite frame, wearing a feline-hooded yellow one-piece jumpsuit with gold-trimmed white armor plates around her chest and upper arms, and a brown utility belt around her hips with three daggers. She also wore red and white heeled boots which came up at the top into large decorated white and black cones, which extended past her knees around the front and around her calves from the back.

The other was a large, thick-furred white tiger with blue eyes. He wore various pieces of metal armor on his legs and chest. He carried his twin rings on his shoulders, and on his chest, there was a core crystal shaped like a claw.

The duo ducked behind some pipes in the sewer system they were in, trying to get their breathing under control as the sludge reformed into a humanoid, searching around for them.

“Here, kitty kitty kitty,” the sludge bubbled, searching through the sewer system for the two felines. He had been tracking both of them all day throughout the city, and he knew that eventually, they would tire, and he would have no trouble gathering his reward. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you. The boss would have my head if I did.”

The sludge turned its gaze away from the duo’s hiding place, and the tiger turned to his master, urgency thick in his hushed voice. “My lady, I will distract him so that you may make your escape.”

“The hell are you on about?! I’m not leavin’ you by yourself!” the catgirl yelled in a Welsh accent.

“But, my lady--”   
  


“None of this self-sacrifin’ shite from you, alright? If we get out, we’re getting out together.”

The tiger bowed his head. “Yes, my lady.”

“Good. Now, let’s teach this sludgie fecker what happens when he messes with a pair or cornered cats.”

“Agreed, my lady.”

The sludge turned the corner, ready to slam itself down onto the runaway cats. He didn’t expect said cats to suddenly turn and blast him with a burst of water with the strength of a fire hose. The tiger kept up the blast, his lady clinging to his back as the water blew the sludge to bits. Now that the sludge was temporarily disabled, the tiger fled down the sewer, running as fast as his legs would carry him.

“My lady, we cannot run forever.”

“I know! We just need to get away from him! Look for a way out!”

As the two fled, the sludge villain pulled himself together and took off after them, closing the distance very quickly. He wasn’t about to let them getaway. Not when he had gotten so close. 

Unfortunately for him, he was so engrossed in his pursuit of the felines to notice the twin blue piercing lights of the keeper of ideals racing after him.

* * *

“Stupid Kacchan,” Izuku huffed, kicking a pebble down the street. Earlier in the day, Bakugo had thrown one of his notebooks out the window and into the koi pond at the front of the school. Luckily, the contents of the notebook seemed to be in order and unharmed, so that was a relief. “Doesn’t he know that if I actually went through with his ‘advice’ that he could go to prison?”

“I honestly don’t know why he would say that,” Pyra agreed, crossing her arms in disbelief. “Telling someone to take a swan dive off a roof and hope for a quirk in the next life? I’ve only known one other person like that in my life, and he wasn’t a very nice person.”

“I can imagine,” Izuku grumbled as they entered an underpass. “Now I’m just grumpy and hungry. Let’s get home and make some snacks--”

The manhole next to them suddenly burst open, the tiger and cat girl emerging and leaping behind Izuku and Pyra. Both cinnamon buns were understandably confused, looking at the pair. “Wait, who are you--”

_ “THERE YOU FUCKING CATS ARE!”  _ The sludge villain screamed, emerging from the manhole like a big pollution-created slime being of death. He glared at them with all the frustration of one who had been herding cats all day, blowing steam out of his non-existent ears.  _ “DO YOU KNOW HOW FUCKING LONG I’VE BEEN CHASING YOU?! NOW HOLD STILL SO I CAN--” _

Izuku threw down his backpack and took the sword Pyra offered him, a beam of blue light connecting him and her. He stepped forward and slashed through the villain, using the momentum of the slash to spin around and deliver a second slash, gritting his teeth.

_ “Double Spinning Edge!” _

The sludge villain stared at Izuku, blinking twice. The slashes had done nothing except disorient him for a second. He raised an eyebrow, watching the schoolboy looking at him panting heavily. “Was that supposed to do something?”

“Y’know, I’m not sure. The risk I took was calculated, but man am I a genius at math.”

“Wait, doesn’t it go ‘but man am I bad at math?’”

Izuku shook his head and chuckled, pointing behind the villain. “Not when he’s behind you.”

The sludge villain suddenly tensed, hearing the heavy breathing of a very muscular man behind him. He slowly turned around, finding All-Might smiling at him. If the villain had a bladder it would most likely be emptying right now.

“I’m just going to um, go now. Is that okay?”

All-Might leaned in, making the sludge villain wobble like jello in the backseat of a sedan belonging to a dad coming late to his son’s birthday party. Sweat appeared on the brow of the sludge, dripping down onto the sidewalk as the number one huffed from his nostrils.

**“No.”**

The sludge villain bolted, running as fast as he could from the terrifying hulk of a man behind him, but he didn’t get far.

**“TEXAS SMASH!”**

A whirlwind whipped thorough the underpass and tore the sludge villain to bits, leaving him scattered all over the road. All-Might dashed around, cleaning up the bits and pieces of sludge and stuffing them into soda bottles. Once he had finished, he turned back to Izuku nodding in his direction.

**“Thank you for your help, Young…”**

“Midoriya. And I can ask you two things, All-Might?”

**“Quickly, yes.”**

“Okay, um, first, can I have your autograph,” Izuku asked, holding out a notebook for his favorite hero to sign. All-Might took the notebook and quickly signed it, handing it back as he awaited Izuku’s question. “You see, I’m quirkless, and I’m wondering if it’s possible for a quirkless person to be a hero.”

All-Might looked at him for a moment, considering the fact that Izuku had indeed stopped the villain long enough for him to finish the job. He looked over to Pyra, shrugged, and nodded.  **“As long as you work hard and never give up, I’m sure you will make a great hero, Young Midoriya.”**

“Really?!”

**“Yes! Now if you’ll excuse me, I must deliver this villain to the authorities. Have a nice day!”**

All-Might leapt away, leaving Izuku with the biggest grin on his face. He danced around in a circle, hopping up and down as he cheered with Pyra. The tiger and his Driver watched from the side, not sure what all the partying was about, but they decided that it was probably a good idea to get moving again before the next villain showed up seeking the bounty on their heads. They took one step, and immediately Izuku and Pyra looked over in their direction. 

“Are you two okay?” Izuku asked, looking over and noticing the tiger’s core crystal, his eyes going wide. “Is that a core crystal?! You’re a Blade?”

“Yeah he’s a Blade. And I’m his Driver. What of it?” the catgirl scoffed, rolling her eyes. “It’s not that odd.”

“Well, it kinda is actually. Drivers are as rare as quirkless people these days. Makes sense, seeing as only quirkless people can resonate with core crystals” Izuku responded. He stopped and tilted his head in thought, staring at the girl curiously. He furrowed his brow, the gears turning in his head. “That’s strange.”

“What’s strange, Izuku?” Pyra asked.

“Only the quirkless can resonate with core crystals, right?”

“Mhm. That’s what my ether readings and the news said.”

“Right. But if only quirkless can be Drivers,” Izuku reasoned, turning to the Welsh catgirl. “Then why does she have cat ears?”

Both cats flinched. The girl blushed and grew angry, yowling at Izuku. “M-My ears are none of your business!”

Pyra cocked her head, considering the possibilities before she came to a conclusion. “You’re a Blade, aren’t you?”

The feline duo flinched again, neither one saying anything. Pyra continued, emboldened by their reactions. “Judging by your reactions, I’d say that’s a yes. If you didn’t want us to know that, it means you’re hiding, or running, in the sludge’s case. The sludge chasing you means that you’re valuable to someone, which explains why you’re being all secretive. In conclusion, you’re a Blade in need of a place to stay.”

Izuku stared at Pyra for a few seconds. “When did you learn to do that?!”

“Over the past four years watching you analyze quirks,” she replied, smiling. She faced the two who still looked very out of place and noted just how dirty they were. “You both look like you could use a place to stay after running for so long.”

The catgirl opened her mouth to retort, but her words were drowned out by the growl of her stomach. She blushed, trying to evade Pyra’s maternal look of worry. Alas, the Aegis had a teacher who had her perfect the look, and she had Izuku’s full support.

“That’s it. You’re coming with us to get a hot meal and a bath.” Izuku said. It wasn’t a suggestion, it was a statement, one that the girl didn’t know how to respond to at first.

“Now hold on just a minute--”

“No buts, young lady. You’re going to experience the Midoriya hospitality and you are going to like it!”

“I have a name, y’know! It’s Nia!” the catgirl hissed.

“My lady, I don’t believe we have a choice but to accept.”

“Oh yeah? And why’s that, Dromarch?”

“We have no idea where we are, and no means in which to secure lodgings or food. Not to mention that these kind people are offering us a place to stay in our time of need.” Dromarch explained, bowing his head politely at Pyra and Izuku. “I think it would be unwise to refuse their offer.”

Nia furrowed her brow, trying to think of a reason to refuse before relenting. “Alright, fine. But if you all try anything funny, don’t expect me to take it lying down, okay?”

Izuku nodded. “Of course. My house isn’t that far from here. We just need to go down this road--”

Suddenly, a building down the street exploded, throwing up a massive amount of smoke and dust into the sky. The four stood in shock for a moment before Izuku threw on his backpack and ran down the street, Pyra hot on his heels. Nia and Dromarch opened their mouths to call after them, but wisely decided against it, running after them.

They arrived at a police barricade to see the street completely on fire, explosions rippling from a figure in the middle of the road. Izuku squinted and recognized it as the sludge villain that had tried to collect Nia and Dromarch, just oozing there, menacingly.

“Why haven’t the heroes moved in?” Pyra asked, noting three heroes standing over to the side, none of them making a move towards the villain in the street. “Is there a hostage or something?”

“Looks like it,” Izuku noted, squinting at the villain. His eyes shot open when he recognized the spiky blonde sticking out, and before he knew what he was doing, he was running headfirst into danger. “Bakugo!”

“Izuku, wait!” Pyra yelled. She jumped over the barricade after him, the officers panicking. They were never going to hear the end of this.

Izuku charged straight at the sludge villain, letting out a battle cry as he drew Pyra’s sword. The villain looked at him in confusion, wondering what this scrawny ass green bean was going to do against him. A beam of blue light connected him and Pyra, and he swung the sword with a feral cry, unleashing a fireball right into the villain’s eye.

“Ow!”

“Hang on Bakugo!” Izuku yelled, plunging his hands into the sludge and trying to pull him out. He may have been at odds with the blonde, but he wasn’t about to let him die and have that on his conscience. “I’ll get you out!”

“Izuku, when we’re done here you and I are having a long talk about your recklessness!” Pyra lectured. the affinity beam between them growing brighter, amplifying Izuku’s power. “This will just get you killed!”

“Why you little--” the sludge villain roared, whirling to face Izuku with an expression promising pain. “Why don’t you just  _ die?!” _

He unleashed an explosion from Bakugo at point-blank, combined with a swing from a pseudo limb onto Izuku. Pyra threw up a shield to protect her Driver, but the impact proved to be too much for the shield to handle. Bakugo, who had a hand on Izuku, was pulled free as all three went flying across the street, landing in some rubble. Bakugo appeared to be fine, and Pyra scrambled to her feet, easily healing due to her status as a Blade.

“Izuku, bad guy incoming,” she said, seeing the sludge villain get closer and closer. She waited for him to get up and fight, but there was no motion in the rubble behind her. She turned around, worry overcoming her as she searched the rubble, eventually finding her Driver with a rod of rebar sticking through his chest, right where his heart would be. “IZUKU!”

He smiled and coughed as she approached, panic and pain welling up in her eyes. “Hi, Pyra. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think I’m going to be a hero after all…”

“Don’t talk like that!” Pyra screamed, tears welling up in her eyes. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that!”

Izuku gave her a sympathetic look, reaching out to caress her cheek as she sobbed. She took Izuku’s hand, squeezing it as hard as she could. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better Driver. But if it helps, you made the past three years the best ones of my life.”

“Izuku, stop it!”

He coughed, the light starting to leave his eyes. “Tell Mom… tell her I’m sorry, alright? I don’t know how you’ll do that, but I trust you to tell her. And tell her… tell her that I love her…”

Pyra suddenly rushed forward and kissed Izuku, surprising him. He supposed that it was an act of kindness to him before he died, and kindly reciprocated as everything turned white and he lost all feeling.

* * *

Izuku opened his eyes and gasped, coughing as he sat up. He got his breathing under control and looked around, finding himself in a grassy field, with only the open sky and the skyline of Musutafu in the distance. That was odd. Why was he here? Was this what Yomi was, a reflection of the happiest moment a person had lived in?

“Izuku.”

He turned around, finding Pyra standing by a tree in the middle of the field, looking at him somberly. Now Izuku realized where he was, and he stood, confusion washing over him.

“This is where we met. But, I’m dead. I died. How am I still alive?”

“I brought you here,” Pyra explained. “This is a construction of the happiest moment of my life. Right now, you’re seconds away from becoming clinically deceased.”

“What…? If I’m about to die, then why did you bring me here?” Izuku asked, tilting his head.

“I made a promise to your mother to keep you safe,” Pyra admitted. “And if I’m being honest, I’ve grown too attached to you to let you die on my watch.”

“Is that why you kissed me? To take me here?”

“Sort of…?” Pyra blushed, moving on. “Now, I need you to place your hand on my chest.”

_ “What?!” _

“Not for that reason, Izuku! I’m going to give you half of my core crystal so you can live!”

“O-Oh,” Izuku replied, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry.”

He approached Pyra, hesitantly reaching out and touching her core crystal. It chimed under his touch, glowing with bright green energy. A section of the crystal resembling an “X” rose from Pyra, floating over to Izuku and embedding itself in the center of his chest, making him gasp as his heart was healed and he breathed again, feeling Pyra’s familiar warmth surge through his cold and numb body.

Everything went white once more, and Izuku found his consciousness fading from the field, Pyra’s beaming face looking at him in joy.

* * *

**“DETRIOT SMASH!”**

A hurricane-force wind tore the sludge villain apart, making him drop Bakugo to the ground. The rain that had moved in the early afternoon suddenly dissipated under the force of All-Might’s attack, creating nothing but blue skies. 

Izuku felt Pyra’s lips leave his own, and a part of him whined from the lack of contact. If must’ve been audible, because Pyra chuckled and kissed him again. Feeling surged through his body, confirming that he was alive and not impaled by a piece of rebar.

He was immediately reprimanded by the angry heroes and even angrier Katsuki Bakugo, all of which yelled at him for charging in recklessly. “You fucking got yourself killed, Deku!”

“And I saved you! Besides, isn't that what you've been telling me for years. Better me than you, yeah?”

**“Young Midoriya, when I told you that I believed you could be a hero, I didn’t mean you could run out and get yourself hurt!”**

“I--”

**“You are a** **_child,_ ** **Young Midoriya. A child does not get to play hero in a scenario like this!”**

“But--”

**“You are** **_not_ ** **a hero, Young Midoriya. Now go home and think realistically about your career before getting yourself killed.** **_Again.”_ **

Izuku visibly deflated, with Pyra too shocked to say anything. Bakugo smirked, realizing that finally, Deku was put into his place. Nia and Dromarch watched with jaws agape, seeing all the heroes nod in agreement. Izuku turned around to leave, and Nia’s anger flared to life.

“Of all the short-sighted, ignorant, pompous bullshit I've heard in my life!”

The heroes turned to see Nia, fangs bared and claws unsheathed, hissing at them angrily while Dromarch tried and failed to calm her down.

“My lady--”

“Not now, Dromarch! Someone has to remind these attentions whores who call themselves heroes what their bloody job is!” Nia hissed, marching up to Mt. Lady and getting in her face. “Yeah, I’m talking about you, ya fucking cam whore! If you’re here just show off your ass then you’re better off bein’ a bloody pornstar!”

“I beg your pardon?!” Mt. Lady screeched.

“You heard me! And you, ya Groot looking bastard! You could’ve used your fucking quirk if ya got mr firehose over here to cover ya in water! Wet wood doesn’t burn, now does it?!”

Kamui Woods blinked twice considering her words. “No, but--”

“Don’t care! And you, punchy arms McGee! You’re seriously going to get on a civilian who had more guts to do your bloody job than you? You must be more daft than I thought!”

Death Arms stammer out his response. “We needed a plan and someone more suited for the situation--”

“And what would’ve happened if Blasty over here died because you decided to do nothing?” Nia retorted, scoffing. “No wonder the Hero Commission has such a tight grip on society. You all are so focused on your bloody quirks and what they can do that you throw your hands up at the first sign of difficulty! ‘Oh no, my quirk is useless against the villain! Whatever shall I do?’ Grow the fuck up, you pansy!”

Finally, she turned to All-Might, fuming with rage. “And  _ you,  _ Mr. Number One. Destroying the dreams of a child after you told him he could and he was more heroic than anyone else here? You got a lot of fucking nerve, calling yourself a hero after that.”

**“I--”**

“I don’t want your bloody excuses, and neither does he!” Nia roared, gesturing at the downtrodden Izuku, who looked very much like a kicked puppy. “Bloody hell. You heroes are all the bloody same. I can’t. Pyra, can you grab him? We’re leaving.”

“Okay,” Pyra nodded, shaking Izuku gently out of his funk. She took his head and led him away from the heroes as Nia hopped onto Dromarch’s back and flipped the heroes off. 

Izuku was despondent on the way back. HIs dreams had been destroyed by the one he idolized most. That hurt a lot. He was having trouble finding motivation to keep moving forward, and he lamented his fate. “Pyra, All-Might said I couldn’t be a hero. What’s the point, then?”

“Well, first off, don’t listen to All-Might,” Pyra told him, “Second, who needs him? You have my support, and I’m guessing Nia’s as well.”

“You got that right. Seriously, who does that? I get that he was trying to make sure that Izuku here doesn’t die again, but there has to be a better way to do it,” Nia thought aloud, looking concerned on Dromarch’s back. “But in the end, who needs All-Might? You’ve got us, kid.”

“Really?” Izuku sniffled, looking up hopefully. “You think I can be a hero?”

“Izuku, you saved Bakugo, even after he suicide baited you,” Pyra said bluntly, making her Driver blush. “If that isn’t heroic, I don’t know what is.”

“What she said. Besides, you offered a place for me to stay, without knowing who I am or why I’m running. That’s pretty heroic.”

“You all…” Izuku said, breaking into happy tears. He hugged both Nia and Pyra as they walked back to the Midoriya residence, making the catgirl hiss.

“Oi! Easy on the hugging-- oh, forget it. C’mon here, you poor thing.”

Pyra giggled, and as the sun set, Izuku wondered how he was going to explain that he had offered lodging to two guests and had died and come back to his mother.

That was going to be a mess.

* * *

All-For-One turned off the news, having heard enough about the catgirl telling All-Might off. He turned to his subordinates, an annoyed expression appearing under his helmet. “It seems that one of our stray cats has been adopted. How troublesome.”

He looked over to the doctor, who flinched under his gaze. “Has there been any news on the other stray, doctor?”

“The hunters lost her trail two hours ago. She was last seen fleeing the city, but she could be anywhere. Or anyone, for that matter.”

“I see. I suppose we will have to be patient then. Let the cats tire themselves out, and then scoop them up when the time is right. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, my lord.”

All-For-One had a feeling that there was something on the horizon, but he wasn’t sure what. But with enough planning and contingency plans for his contingency plans, he would be prepared, just as he had always been.

A storm was coming, but he would be safe under his umbrella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two stray cats? Nani?!

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the power of the Aegis...


End file.
